The Mastalekt

Overview

The Mastalekt are a sentient species, indigenous to a planet known to the Imperial Combine as Serrofus Major. They are referred to by human residents as Serrofites.

Serrofus Major is located on the Sagittarius arm of the galaxy, not far from the border with humanity's native Orion arm. Populations of Mastalekt inhabit every major continent. The planet was annexed by the Imperial Combine several decades ago, and its class one status meant that all human colonies established there thrived quickly. The planet has undergone rapid development since humans took residence.​The internal politics of the Mastalekt — prior to the human occupation of their homeworld — are not well understood, in part due to the poor record keeping of the Mastalekt themselves. It is known that there was no unifying world government on Serrofus Major prior to Imperial rule.

There are no Raised Mastalekt citizens in the regime of Proconsul Derrimus Kalistine. Many amongst the native population find this fact insulting.

Culture

The Mastalekt are intelligent and adaptable, but averse to confrontation. Despite their sensitivity to dangerous situations they may strike out violently when feeling threatened.

When they were first encountered by the Imperial Combine the Mastalekt were centuries away from space travel, and had only established primitive industrial and transportation infrastructures. They were quickly manoeuvred into becoming a protectorate of the Empire.

Despite their acquaintance with technology, and their new-found knowledge of the galaxy, the majority of Mastalekt have little interest in travelling off-world, and continue to observe the ancient rituals of their past. To this end, many of them devote considerable time and resources to farming the native Serrofan weeds which are of use in those rituals.​

Biology

Mastalekt biology has not been studied extensively. They are known to be a warm-blood species, with hearing, vision, and olfactory senses equivalent to those of humans. Their bodies are hairless, and their skin colouration varies from a dull, dusty blue through to a blend of blue and charcoal grey.

Broadly speaking Mastalekt are essentially humanoid, with one striking difference. Where most bipedal animal forms have one terminating appendage per limb, Mastalekt legs divide into two just below the knee, with two feet per leg. This adaptation may have been required in order to allow them to stabilise the upright stance of their long, slender torsos. Imperial biologists have yet to determine how the distinctive shape of the Mastalekt body came about.

The Mastalekt voice has been described as being "like hot gravel dropping on cold glass" (→LOTD).